In the food service industry, there is a need for refrigerated food storage in which different food items are readily available for preparation of foods such as sandwiches and pizza. In the "fast food" industry it has become a common practice to utilize preparation tables which make the foodstuffs conveniently available to preparation personnel while maintaining it properly refrigerated.
Preparation tables, such as those used in fast food service are typically constructed as a table in an arrangement which provides food refrigeration and a work surface for food preparation. In a typical arrangement, the preparation table is provided with refrigerator cabinets under the table top for overnight food storage, a flat working surface at the front of the table top and a so-called "rail" which is part of the work area near the back of the table. The rail is an open-top refrigerated compartment usually extending the width of the table, with the open-top elevated several inches above the flat work surface at the front. The rail arrangement is used for ergonomic reasons and the refrigerated compartment thereof is provided with a plurality of open top food pans which are disposed side-by-side across the width of the rail. With the open top food pans supported near the upper surface of the rail, the food is easily reachable by the food preparation person standing at the front of the table. The refrigerated compartment in the rail is typically cooled by a heat exchanger of a type known as a "cold wall pan" comprising a sheet metal open top pan with refrigerant tubing bonded to the exterior surface. The heat exchange pan constitutes the side walls and bottom wall of the refrigerated compartment and the food pans are supported therein by a rim on the front and back of the pan which rests on a ledge of the rail.
One of the difficulties with this arrangement is that the food in the upper portion of the open food pans is subjected to the ambient room temperature which may be high enough to cause degradation of the food quality. With the food pans supported so that they extend downwardly into the refrigerated compartment with refrigerated air circulated against the bottom and sides of the pans, the food in the bottom in the pans is adequately refrigerated. However, in the case of high room temperature, when the temperature of the air below the pans is reduced sufficiently to maintain the food in the upper portion of the pans sufficiently cooled, freezing of food in the lower portion is likely to occur. It is desirable, in general, for proper food preservation to maintain the food at a temperature no higher than 40.degree. F. but higher than the freezing temperature.
A general object of this invention is to provide an improved open top refrigerated compartment for use on preparation tables and the like which will meet established temperature requirements and to overcome certain disadvantages of the prior art.